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The first season of HBO's mob masterpiece ended on a really sad note for Tony Soprano: not only was he recovering from a failed attempt on his life, he also found out it was his mother and uncle who authorized the whole thing. Kind of gives a whole new meaning to the term "family values".Things don't get much better in this Series 2 opener, either: Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) is in jail, Livia (Nancy Marchand) is in the hospital because of an alleged stroke, and Tony's manipulative sister Janice (Aida Turturro) shows up to make him feel guilty for how he is treating their mother. As a result he is so stressed he can't even be happy when Pussy Bompensiero (Vincent Pastore) returns after months of absence. Okay, so the latter was suspected of being a rat, but come on, give him a break: he was just hiding because he felt he wasn't safe anymore and, while he was at it, got his back problem fixed in Puerto Rico. Soon enough, though, he is cleared of all bad thoughts and warmly welcomed back by the whole crew.This season premiere is spellbinding for two reasons: firstly, it introduces a scene that would become a recurring presence in all other series openers (except Season Six), that of the Sopranos' home driveway where Tony picks up the newspaper wearing nothing but his bathrobe, a wife-beater and a pair of boxers - an iconic image that confirms the fact the Jersey boss is no glorious figure like Vito Corleone; secondly, the terrific Aida Turturro (John's cousin) makes her first appearance on the show in a role so juicy and complex she managed to stay for the remainder of the program's run. But let's not forget Pastore: in a way, it is he who comes to dominate the events of Season Two (why will be obvious from the next episode onwards), and it is remarkable that he manages to turn a potentially ridiculous scene (Pussy turning up in front of Tony in the aforementioned driveway, his hands raised in the air) into a powerful dramatic moment, albeit one with the serial's trademark sick humor.Salute
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